High-line cable support

ABSTRACT

A cable support for a high-line load transfer arrangement, especially for use in transferring goods between two ships at sea, comprising a pivoted arm capable of being raised and lowered, the arm providing a first effective high point for the cable when in the raised position, and being such that when it is lowered, following its engagement with a load transfer trolley, the effective high point is transferred to the vicinity of trolley thereby reducing relative movement between the load and the landing area.

United States Patent Inventor David John Ingram Kent, England Appl. No.883,857 Filed Dec. 10, 1969 Patented June 29, 1971 Assignee The GeneralElectric and English Electric Companies Limited London, England PriorityDec. 13, 1968 Great Britain 59,449

HIGH-LINE CABLE SUPPORT 13 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 104/114, 2 14/13 Int. Cl B611) 7/02, B611) 7/04 Field of Search104/ 1 12,

[56] References Cit-ed UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,225,702 12/1965 Hill104/114 3,361,080 1/1968 Born 104/114 3,494,443 2/1970 Huff Hines 214/12Primary Examiner- Arthur L. La Point Assistant ExaminerD. W. Keen AlmrnevKirschstein, Kirschstein. Ottinger & Frank PATENTED JUNZSIBII 9,599,299

SHEET 1 OF 5 'INVENTOR AV'D T. INGRAM PATENTED M29197! 3, 589 299 SHEET2 OF 5 INVENTOR, PAVW J. INQRAM PATENTED JUN29 Ian 3 5 9,299

SHEET 3 UF 5 1 INVENTOR DAVID T. INGRAM BY 1 nmm; m #m AT T o R N t (SHIGH-LINE CABLE SUPPORT This invention relates to load transferarrangements for transferring articles between two stations, and whichare of the kind incorporating a support cable which is carried by awinch at one of the stations and is arranged to extend to a connectingmember at the other station to provide a support for a transfer trolleydesigned to carry a load as the load is being transferred.

Such high-line transfer arrangements, as they are commonly referred tohave application, for example, for the transshipment of cargo and storesbetween two ships at sea or between a ship and a fixed station such as alighthouse or oil drilling rig.

The high points at the ends of the support cable should, of course, bemaintained at a sufficient height during transfer to allow for the sagat the center of the cable, which may be substantial and varyconsiderably where transfer is being effected between ships due torolling and other movement of the ships and variations in the distancebetween them.

However this can lead to difiiculties during loading and unloading, dueto swinging movement of the load and variations in the vertical distancebetween the high point and the landing area at which loading andunloading is required to take place, resulting from pitching and rollingmovement of the ships.

An object of the present invention is to provide a form of cable supportwhereby the loading and unloading processes are facilitated.

According to the invention a cable support for a load transferarrangement of the kind referred to comprises an outwardly extending armcapable of up and down pivoting movement, and carrying or associatedwith support means for the support cable located inwards from the freeend of the arm, together with means at the free end of the arm forreceiving and engaging a transfer trolley, the arrangement providing afirst effective high point inwardly spaced from the end of the arm whenthe arm is in the raised position, and being such that as the arm islowered towards a landing area with the trolley engaged the effectiveposition of the high point is transferred outwards relative to the armto the vicinity of or beyond the trolley.

During transfer the arm will be in the raised position, the high pointof the support cable thus being the first effective high point; howeverfor loading and unloading with the trolley engaged, the arm is arrangedto be lowered, the transfer of the effective high point to the vicinityof the trolley resulting in the effective high point being moved closerto the load support point, thereby reducing the relative movementbetween the load and the landing area, and thus facilitating the loadingor unloading process.

A cable support in accordance with the invention is conveniently fittedto a receiving ship to which cargo and stores are arranged to betransferred from a supply ship. However such a support may also befitted to a supply ship, and in some cases to a fixed station such as alighthouse or oil-drilling rig. The support means may be provided on thepivoted arm itself although for some applications it may be located at afixed position separate from the arm as will subsequently be described.

The pivoted arm, in addition to being mounted for up and down pivotingmovement, may be capable of swiveling movement about a nominallyvertical axis, which in the case of a ship means an axis which issubstantially vertical when the ship is on an even keel. Normally with aship the support cable will be arranged to extend over the side of theship, the pivoted arm then being capable of a swiveling movement in theforeand-aft directions.

The pivoted arm may be designed to be employed with a single jackstaytype of transfer arrangement, or alternatively with an arrangement ofthe kind in which the support cable is in the form of a loop designed toeffect the traversal of the transfer trolley in addition to providing asupport therefor.

The pivoted arm may be arranged to be held in a fixed raised positionwhilst a load is being transferred if desired or be freely pivotableduring transfer in dependence upon cable movement and tensionvariations. In the latter case the first effective high point will belocated at the pivot point of the arm, where the support means iscarried by the arm or at the support means itself where this is separatefrom the arm, but in both arrangements the end of the arm is preferablyshaped to receive and engage the trolley, so that as the arm is loweredagainst the tension in the support cable, the trolley will be heldfirmly against a stop on the arm thus resulting in the effective highpoint being transferred to the vicinity of the trolley.

In a modification of this arrangement the arm may project beyond thestop and carry means for engaging the support cable at a region beyondthe trolley as it is lowered towards the landing area, therebytransferring the effective high point to that region, the load in such acase conveniently being lowered on to the landing area by paying out thehauling-in cable.

In the case where the arm is held in a fixed raised position duringtransfer the first effective high point will normally be the point ofattachment of the support cable, where this is provided by a jackstay.On the other hand where a looped form of support cable is employed, thearm may carrynear its free end a pivoted flounder plate fitted with apulley for the support cable, and having its free end shaped to receiveand engage the trolley. The flounder plate will normally be free topivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the arm in dependenceupon tension variations in the support cable when the arm is in theraised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate then providingthe first effective high point, and the arrangement being such that asthe arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by the flounderplate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which issubsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable,the flounder plate then effec' tively providing a rigid continuation ofthe arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to thevicinity of the trolley. It will of course be understood that thestatement that the arm is held in a fixed raised position means that thearm is held in a fixed position as regards up and down pivotingmovement, but not as regards swiveling movement about a nominallyvertical axis where this is provided for.

In order to explain the invention more fully a number of differentembodiments of it will now be described by way of example with referenceto FIGS. 1 to 8 of the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows schematically and not to scale a load being transferredfrom a supply ship to a receiving ship by means of a high line,

FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate different stages of operation of one form ofcable support in accordance with the invention mounted on the receivingship,

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate different stages of operation of an alternativeform of cable support, and

FIG. 8 shows yet another form of support.

In FIG. 1, S represents in diagrammatic form a supply ship in theprocess of transferring a load L. to a receiving ship R by means ofatrolley 1 carried by a support cable 2 in the form of a loop controlledby winches (not shown) on the supply ship S, the cable passing around apulley 3 carried by a cable support 4 on the receiving ship R.

An enlarged view of the cable support is shown in FIG. 2, the supportcomprising an arm 5 pivoted at 6 and capable of up and down movementunder the control of a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 7.

A flounder plate 8 is pivoted to the arm 5 at a point 9 ad jacent itsfree end, the flounder plate carrying the pulley 3 around which isarranged to be fitted the support cable 2. The flounder plate 8 extendsbeyond the pulley and is recessed at its end for receiving theprojecting ends of the pulley axle 11 on the trolley 1 when the latterhas been winched into it as shown. The pivot point 9 of the flounderplate provides the effective high point of the system at the receivingship end during transfer, the arm 5 being held in a fixed raisedposition by the piston and cylinder unit 7 during this process.

When the flounder plate 8 has engaged trolley l the arm 5 is arranged tobe lowered towards the landing area 12 to facilitate the unloading ofthe trolley. During the lowering process the flounder plate is engagedby a region 13 of the arm which projects beyond the pivot point 9 asshown in FIG. 3. The plate 8 is held against the projection 13 by thetension in the support cable and effectively forms a rigid continuationof the arm, and thereby causes the effective high point to betransferred to the trolley pulley 1. Further lowering of the arm causesthe load L to be deposited on the landing area 12, and it will be seenthat by this means the effective high point.is thus brought close to thelatter, and relative movement between the load and the landing area asthe load is lowered is thereby reduced. FIG. 4 shows the load fullylowered on to the landing area for removal from the trolley 1.

The arm 5 and the piston and cylinder unit arrangement are convenientlycarried by a supportingarrangement which permits the arm to be swiveledthrough a limited angle in the foreand-aft direction, for example aboutan axis perpendicular to the deck D and represented by the line S, butthe supporting arrangement, which can be of any suitable construction,has been omitted from the drawing for simplicity.

FIGS. 5 to 7 illustrate a modified arrangement designed for use with ajackstay shown at 14. This arrangement also incorporates a pivoted arm15 capable of being raised and lowered by a hydraulic piston andcylinder unit 17. The jackstay, which is designed to support a trolley21, is arranged to be secured to the arm 15 at a point 22 near the end,the trolley being traversable across the jackstay be means of haulingcables 23 connected to winch drums (not shown) on the receiving andsupply ship. FIG. 5 shows a load L approaching the receiving ship, thearm 15 being held in the raised position as in the previous embodiment.During the transfer process the effective high point is the point ofattachment 22 of the jackstay 14.

When the trolley 21 reaches the terminal position at the end of the arm15 the arm is arranged to be lowered, a projecting portion 24 of the armthen engaging the projecting ends of the trolley pulley axle 25 as inFIG. 6, the effective high point being thereby transferred to thetrolley pulley 26, again reducing relative movement between the load andthe landing area as the load is lowered (FIG. 7) facilitating theunloading process.

Another arrangement for use with a single jackstay is shown in FIG. 8.This arrangement also employs a pivoted arm in the form of a boom andwhich, during the transfer process, is permitted to pivot freely independence upon the tension in the jackstay 36, the latter passing undera pulley 37 near the free end of the arm, over another pulley 38 carriedby a fixed bracket 39 adjacent the pivot point 40 of the arm, to asuitable attachment point (not shown).

The pulley 37 rests on the jackstay 36 so that as the tension in thejackstay increases and decreases the arm is raised and lowered, theeffective high point being provided by the pulley 38, as at position A.

The arm carries, just outboard of the pulley 37, a stop 41 against whichthe load-carrying trolley 42 is arranged to be winched. When the trolleyis in this position the arm is arranged to be lowered, for example bymeans of a cable 47 against the tension in the jackstay, the effectivehigh point being thereby transferred to the pulley 37. The end of thearm beyond the pulley is angled upwards and carries a sheave 48 which isnormally held out of contact with the jackstay. However on lowering thearm to a position B the sheave 48 engages the jackstay and the effectivehigh point is transferred to the sheave. Further lowering of the armagainst a stop 50 brings the load L just above the landing area 12 as atC, and the load is lowered on to the landing area by paying out thehaul-in cable 49 slightly.

It will be appreciated that whilst the jackstay 36 in the arrangementillustrated passes over the pulley 38 which thus provides the firsteffective high point, it may in some cases be attached to the armitself, the pivot point of the arm then providing the effective highpoint.

Whilst the arrangements described have been particularly described withreference to a receiving ship it will be appreciated that a similarpivoted arm may be employed on a supply ship for facilitating theloading of the trolley, the arm being capable of being pivoted downwardsto bring the effective high point nearer the landing area and then beingcapable of being pivoted upwards for example by a hydraulic piston andcylinder unit to raise the effective high point for effecting the actualtransfer process.

In addition it will be appreciated that the whole support unit mayitself be carried by a movable mounting capable of being raised andlowered, for example in guides, under the control of a suitablepower-driven operating means, the raising of the unit giving an increasein the height of the traversal high point above the landing area, andthe lowering of the unit when the arm has been pivoted downwardsbringing the trolley downwards to a convenient loading position.

I claim:

1. A cable support for load transfer arrangements comprising anoutwardly extending arm capable ofup and down pivoting movement said armhaving a raised position in which it is inclined upwards from the pivot,and associated with support means for the support cable located inwardsfrom the free end of the arm, together with means at the free end of thearm for receiving and engaging a transfer trolley, the arrangementproviding a first effective high point inwardly spaced from the end ofthe arm when the arm is in the raised position, and being such that asthe arm is lowered towards a landing area with the trolley engaged theeffective position of the high point is transferred outwards relative tothe arm to at least the vicinity ofthe trolley.

2. A cable support according to claim 1, wherein the pivoted arm is alsocapable of swiveling movement about a nominally vertical axis.

3. A cable support according to claim 1 incorporating means for holdingthe pivoted arm in a fixed raised position whilst a load is beingtransferred.

4. A cable support according to claim 3 for a support cable in the formof a jackstay including means for attaching the jackstay to the arm at apoint spaced from the pivot.

5. A cable support according to claim 3 for a looped form of supportcable, wherein the arm carries near its free end a pivoted flounderplate fitted with a pulley for the support cable, and having its freeend shaped to receive and engage the trolley.

6. A cable support according to claim 5, wherein the flounder plate isnormally free to pivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the armin dependence upon tension variations in the support cable when the armis in the raised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate thenproviding the first eflective high point, and the arrangement being suchthat as the arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by theflounder plate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which issubsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable,the flounder plate then effectively providing a rigid continuation ofthe arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to thevicinity of the trolley.

7. A cable support according to claim 3, wherein the arm projects beyondthe support means, and said projecting portion is shaped to engage, thetrolley so that the lowering of the arm against the tension in thesupport cable towards said landing area causes the effective high pointto be transferred from said support means to the point of engagement ofthe projecting portion with the trolley.

8. A cable support according to claim I, wherein the pivoted arm iscapable of pivoting movement whilst a load is being transferred independence upon cable movement and tension variations.

9. A cable support according to claim 8, wherein the end of the arm isshaped to receive and engage the trolley, so that in use, as the arm islowered against the tension in the support cable towards said landingarea with the trolley engaged, the trolley is held firmly against a stopon the arm, thereby resulting in the effective high point beingtransferred to the vicinity of the trolley.

10. A cable support according to claim 8, wherein the arm is providedwith a stop against which the trolley is held during the lowering of thearm against the tension in the support cable towards said landing area,the arm projecting beyond the stop and carrying engagement meansarranged to engage the support cable at a region beyond the trolleyduring the latter part of said lowering, thereby resulting in theeffective high point being transferred to said region.

11. A cable support according to claim 10, wherein the arm carries apulley located adjacent the stop and arranged to rest on the supportcable during the transfer of a load, the arrangement being such that onthe lowering of the arm against the tension in the support cable theeffective high point is first transferred to the pulley, and then to theregion of engagement of the support cable by the engagement means.

12. A cable support according to claim 10 including means for paying-outthe hauling-in cable following the lowering of the arm, to lower thetrolley further towards the landing area.

13. A cable support according to claim I wherein the support is itselfcarried by a movable mounting capable of being raised and lowered, andpower-driven operating means are provided for effecting the raising andlowering of the mounting relative to the landing area.

1. A cable support for load transfer arrangements comprising anoutwardly extending arm capable of up and down pivoting movement saidarm having a raised position in which it is inclined upwards from thepivot, and associated with support means for the support cable locatedinwards from the free end of the arm, together with means at the freeend of the arm for receiving and engaging a transfer trolley, thearrangement providing a first effective high point inwardly spaced fromthe end of the arm when the arm is in the raised position, and beingsuch that as the arm is lowered towards a landing area with the trolleyengaged the effective position of the high point is transferred outwardsrelative to the arm to at least the vicinity of the trolley.
 2. A cablesupport according to claim 1, wherein the pivoted arm is also capable ofswiveling movement about a nominally vertical axis.
 3. A cable supportaccording to claim 1 incorporating means for holding the pivoted arm ina fixed raised position whilst a load is being transferred.
 4. A cablesupport according to claim 3 for a support cable in the form of ajackstay including means for attaching the jackstay to the arm at apoint spaced from the pivot.
 5. A cable support according to claim 3 fora looped form of support cable, wherein the arm carries near its freeend a pivoted flounder plate fitted with a pulley for the support cable,and having its free end shaped to receive and engage the trolley.
 6. Acable support according to claim 5, wherein the flounder plate isnormally free to pivot about an axis parallel the pivot axis of the armin dependence upon tension variations in the support cable when the armis in the raised position, the pivot point of the flounder plate thenproviding the first effective high point, and the arrangement being suchthat as the arm is lowered following engagement of the trolley by theflounder plate, a stop on the arm engages the flounder plate which issubsequently held against the stop by the tension in the support cable,the flounder plate then effectively providing a rigid continuation ofthe arm, which results in the outward transfer of the high point to thevicinity of the trolley.
 7. A cable support according to claim 3,wherein the arm projects beyond the support means, and said projectingportion is shaped to engage, the trolley so that the lowering of the armagainst the tension in the support cable towards said landing areacauses the effective high point to be transferred from said supportmeans to the point of engagement of the projecting portion with thetrolley.
 8. A cable support according to claim 1, wherein the pivotedarm is capable of pivoting movement whilst a load is being transferredin dependence upon cable movement and tension variations.
 9. A cablesupport according to claim 8, wherein the end of the arm is shaped toreceive and engage the trolley, so that in use, as the arm is loweredagainst the tension in the support cable towards said landing area withthe trolley engaged, the trolley is held firmly against a stop on thearm, thereby resulting in the effective high point being transferred tothe vicinity of the trolley.
 10. A cable support according to claim 8,wherein the arm is provided with a stop against which the trolley isheld during the lowering of the arm against the tension in the supportcable towards said landing area, the arm projecting beyond the stop andcarrying engagement means arranged to engage the support cable at aregion beyond the trolley during the latter part of said lowering,thereby resulting in the effective high point being transferred to saidregion.
 11. A cable support according to claim 10, wherein the armcarries a pulley located adjacent the stop and arranged to rest on thesupport cable during the transfer of a load, the arrangement being suchthat on the lowering of the arm against the tension in the support cablethe effective high point is first transferred to the pulley, and then tothe region of engagement of the support cable by the engagement means.12. A cable support according to claim 10 including means for paying-outthe hauling-in cable following the lowering of the arm, to lower thetrolley further towards the landing area.
 13. A cable support accordingto claim 1 wherein the support is itself carried by a movable mountingcapable of being raised and lowered, and power-driven operating meansare provided for effecting the raising and lowering of the mountingrelative to the landing area.